Why do my dog sneeze when he gets excited?

I have a shihtzuauah (lol) and he does that too. Some dog's throats close up and they *hack* when theyre excited and some pee. Its normal in shih tzus dont worry. at least he doesnt pee thats the worst.

Sarah Kalnajs did research on this (how dog's communicate) for her PhD and put out the DVD "The Language of Dogs." In it, she covers dogs and sneezing. The vast majority of dog sneezes are to indicate "this is great--don't stop--I'm really happy and having fun and enjoying things." Every morning when I let my guy out of his crate (in which he's been sleeping quietly) he gives a couple of big sneezes. When he sees me reach for his soccer ball and open the back door, he sneezes. A dog sneeze, more than any other sign, is a good indicator of a happy dog who is, at that moment, loving life. It is NOT a sign of a dog with a cold or a dog with sinus problems.

Just like certain people have quirks, so can some animals.

Your dog is probably one of those that do.

You could always ask your dog's vet about this the next time you take your pet for its checkup...

Yes, its normal. I have two dogs (beagle and Yorkie) who do the same thing when really excited.

This goes in the Pets category.

your first problem is you have a shih tzu... get a real dog like a lab